Stephen Fry and Gay Byrne

aidanleahy · 30-01-2015 09:34PM

What Fry doesn't understand is that the hardships we face are a test set for us by God. We all have a different path to walk.

Baggy Trousers · 30-01-2015 09:38PM

aidanleahy wrote: »

What Fry doesn't understand is that the hardships we face are a test set for us by God. We all have a different path to walk.

Even small children? It's an IQ test some people need.

silverharp · 30-01-2015 09:50PM

aidanleahy wrote: »

What Fry doesn't understand is that the hardships we face are a test set for us by God. We all have a different path to walk.

that makes god a bit of a dick no? I wonder how long I'd get away with pulling those stunts with my kids? :pac:

Hotblack Desiato · 30-01-2015 10:32PM

Pretty sure GB was the first person to unroll a condom on Irish TV

ShooterSF · 30-01-2015 11:03PM

Kidchameleon wrote: »

If god did exist, how do we know he/she/it demands worship? Because the church says so? The bible is not a valid source by the way.

What? Going by Gay Byrne's question re: the pearly gates it seems the conversation is focused on the Christian God, except when fry mentions the greek pantheon, so what source have we for the attributes of the Christian god but it's church and instruction manual (i.e the bible)?

Unless you mean if a god exists but that wasn't what Fry was asked about.

porsche959 · 30-01-2015 11:07PM

Gay Byrne is perhaps too polite (or insufficiently attuned) to question Fry on his affection for the Greek gods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin!_or_Tobacco_and_Boys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pederasty_in_ancient_Greece

robindch · 30-01-2015 11:10PM

porsche959 wrote: »

Gay Byrne is perhaps too polite (or insufficiently attuned) to question Fry on his affection for the Greek gods.

Gay Byrne is so far out of his depth that he'd need to be ten miles tall to touch the seafloor.

catbear · 30-01-2015 11:14PM

Maybe Fry's comfortable openness with his own sexuality explains Gay's crimpled posture rather than whether there is a god or not; humans are after all self seeking.

eviltwin · 30-01-2015 11:24PM

aidanleahy wrote: »

What Fry doesn't understand is that the hardships we face are a test set for us by God. We all have a different path to walk.

ffs don't insult our intelligence

Kidchameleon · 30-01-2015 11:34PM

ShooterSF wrote: »

What? Going by Gay Byrne's question re: the pearly gates it seems the conversation is focused on the Christian God, except when fry mentions the greek pantheon, so what source have we for the attributes of the Christian god but it's church and instruction manual (i.e the bible)?

Unless you mean if a god exists but that wasn't what Fry was asked about.

True enough. A bit off topic but I have often wondered if I was a god, would I want my creations to worship me? Certainly not!

RikuoAmero · 30-01-2015 11:42PM

aidanleahy wrote: »

What Fry doesn't understand is that the hardships we face are a test set for us by God. We all have a different path to walk.

So...when a young child, let's make this even easier, a toddler who has yet to learn how to speak gets a terminal illness and dies...what test did that toddler have? Remember, God is a personal god (or so I hear), so don't couch your response in terms of what a wider population might learn or be tested on. This is about the individual toddler. What was that toddler tested on, was the illness part of the test?

Cabaal · 30-01-2015 11:50PM

Its all about scale,

Imagine you created the entire planet earth (No solar system, galaxys etx) and on earth you build an ant hill in some back arse of no where in Africa.

Now, would you care if one of those billions of ants believed in or worshipped you? Would you care if one of those billions of ants believed in a different god... Especially when you've given them no actually proof you exist to begin with.

Of course you wouldn't, they are meaningless.

Now, think on a much much much much bigger scale. Our solar system is a grain of sand in a sand box (each grain represents another solar system) and theres thousands of other sand boxes as well.

If a god did actually exist, would it really care about what a bunch of atoms on a grain of sand amongst millions of grain, amongst hundreds or even millions of sand boxes thinks of it? No of course not.

We are not that important and some people have a problem with this reality, if we want our lifes and world to be better... We must be that change, not some invisable friend.

Creating a god is our species way of trying to feel like we are the center of the universe,

Hotblack Desiato · 30-01-2015 11:57PM

Kidchameleon wrote: »

True enough. A bit off topic but I have often wondered if I was a god, would I want my creations to worship me? Certainly not!

It would get very annoying very fast.

But the constant begging for favours would be worse. All that hassle from one tiny pale blue dot in a vast universe, it's just not worth it.

Pherekydes · 31-01-2015 12:07AM

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It would get very annoying very fast.

But the constant begging for favours would be worse. All that hassle from one tiny pale blue dot in a vast universe, it's just not worth it.

Yeah, I'd be thinking of sorting them out. And it wouldn't be no bloody flood!

Deranged96 · 31-01-2015 12:17AM

Cabaal wrote: »

Its all about scale,

Imagine you created the entire planet earth (No solar system, galaxys etx) and on earth you build an ant hill in some back arse of no where in Africa.

Now, would you care if one of those billions of ants believed in or worshipped you? Would you care if one of those billions of ants believed in a different god... Especially when you've given them no actually proof you exist to begin with.

Of course you wouldn't, they are meaningless.

Now, think on a much much much much bigger scale. Our solar system is a grain of sand in a sand box (each grain represents another solar system) and theres thousands of other sand boxes as well.

If a god did actually exist, would it really care about what a bunch of atoms on a grain of sand amongst millions of grain, amongst hundreds or even millions of sand boxes thinks of it? No of course not.

We are not that important and some people have a problem with this reality, if we want our lifes and world to be better... We must be that change, not some invisable friend.

Creating a god is our species way of trying to feel like we are the center of the universe,

This is silly because its high fantasy. You can't take religion and apply your own brand of divine psychological analysis to it and then watch the electrons spiral out of orbit. Easily refuted by redefining God to fit whatever case you want to press:

God is a force with dominion over space and time, its interested only in sentient beings and thus out of all the grains of sand in the sandbox, it is this grain it has 100% of its immense focus on. it has put us each her with a purpose and each of us have our own burdens in life, it has given us the tools so that we may prove ourselves worthy of paradise. It has watched us fail and succeeded a hundred thousand times as time loops on and on and does what time does.. its waiting until the scene is set for it to intervene once again. Yoda Yoda

I actually think I tell a better yarn than you too

Personally too I think that humans are the centre of the universe... to argue any other way doesn't strike me as making much sense as this is the only picture we have of the universe... as far as we know there are not even germs to be found on other planets. Yes the universe is infinite and there is bound to be something somewhat exciting living somewhere but there comes a point where you lose all perspective if you keep zooming out.

catbear · 31-01-2015 12:24AM

If heaven is a reward for being good on earth then what about morality?

Bristolscale7 · 31-01-2015 12:25AM

RikuoAmero wrote: »

So...when a young child, let's make this even easier, a toddler who has yet to learn how to speak gets a terminal illness and dies...what test did that toddler have? Remember, God is a personal god (or so I hear), so don't couch your response in terms of what a wider population might learn or be tested on. This is about the individual toddler. What was that toddler tested on, was the illness part of the test?

Yes, nicely put. In this case, what would a successful test look like? The toddler bears his suffering with stoicism? What about failure? The toddler whinges too much?

Deranged96 · 31-01-2015 12:27AM

catbear wrote: »

If heaven is a reward for being good on earth then what about morality?

Is this for me?

Anyway I suppose some people would say you can't be good or bad without morality. people wouldn't have personalities and extension I suppose souls..making heaven redundant. And God.

catbear · 31-01-2015 12:31AM

Deranged96 wrote: »

Is this for me?

No, sorry. Just general musings.

delthedriver · 31-01-2015 12:31AM

I have met Gay Byrne both professionally and socially and can only describe him as a perfect Gentleman. We could do with a few more in our country.

Stephen Fry is an academic, actor, highly intelligent and very modest too.

Having watched the clip , Stephen Fry answered the questions put to him in a very open manner, which is one of his strengths. Perhaps Gay was slightly taken aback by Stephen's direct approach and frankness.

Personally I have great time for both guys.:)

SpaceTime · 31-01-2015 01:52AM

To be fair, Uncle Gaybo knows that he has to provide balance in the piece too under BAI rules. He can't just wholeheartedly agree with a guest.

He has been broadcasting since the dawn of television, so he has a fairly good idea of how to do it!

I don't think he's ever come across as a conservative and he has been quite instrumental in opening up debate in Ireland during some of the most inward-looking, cold conservative days of the state.

The Late Late Show (with Gay Byrne not, the later versions) really did provide a platform for discussing things that had never been discussed before here and because he was such a pleasant character and had so much national respect, he was able to do something that public service television is supposed to be all about - opening minds!

Considering the atmosphere in the 60s, 70s and 80s and the power weilded by very conservative forces, I think Gay Byrne deserves a lot of credit. He did huge things for opening up all sorts of topics on both radio and TV.

Also, I think we sometimes forget that Gerry Ryan in the 1980s and 90s on 2FM continued in that tradition and took it to another level. I know that show was well past its prime in its later years, but in its heyday, it was a very important window into another world in cars and kitchens all over Ireland where people could hear people discussing previously unmentionable topics.

Both of those broadcasters helped to bring Irish people out of their shells and to start thinking critically about what was going on around them for a change.

Hotblack Desiato · 31-01-2015 02:48AM

Deranged96 wrote: »

Personally too I think that humans are the centre of the universe...

That is incredibly conceited.

as far as we know there are not even germs to be found on other planets.

So what. We're still insignificant.

delthedriver wrote: »

Having watched the clip , Stephen Fry answered the questions put to him in a very open manner, which is one of his strengths. Perhaps Gay was slightly taken aback by Stephen's direct approach and frankness.

Hardly, I'm sure Gay read Stephen's script as Stephen did Gay's script... there is no spontaniety there, but we have become used to spontaniety as a substitute for thought and consideration. Nobody would publish a first draft of an article, can an interview not also go through a series of drafts to arrive at the finished version?

SpaceTime wrote: »

I don't think he's ever come across as a conservative

Annie Murphy

and he has been quite instrumental in opening up debate in Ireland during some of the most inward-looking, cold conservative days of the state.

This is also true however.

Eeden · 31-01-2015 03:06AM

The point about God needing (or wanting or expecting) us to kneel and worship and thank him for our existence is the thing that really clinches it for me. If you are the omnipotent creator of the universe, why would you need/want/expect that?

robindch · 31-01-2015 03:12AM

Eeden wrote: »

The point about God needing (or wanting or expecting) us to kneel and worship and thank him for our existence is the thing that really clinches it for me. If you are the omnipotent creator of the universe, why would you need/want/expect that?

It's not so much that a god might want it, but many priests quite like it. And most of the kings too.

colossus-x · 31-01-2015 03:57AM

Absolutely sick and tired of seeing Stephen Fry stuck in absolutely everything. I don't find him in the slightest bit funny and I'm agape when I see people falling all over him. The noxious QI think was on today when I was channel hoping and I can't bear that kind of show either. I really wish he would just disappear and never show up at anything ever again. What does he do ? Well frankly he's just a peculiarity and not good for much. I also find it rather embarrassing that anyone in Ireland should acknowledge that we even know who the hell he is - because really he's just a nobody. I was also embarrassed at Panti falling all over him at the TV awards show. I bet if he didn't' have a crocked face he'd never have become famous at all. And that thing about him being celibate - as if he had a choice in the matter. Jezus. I mush preferred the other guy, whats his name, Woster ?

Pherekydes · 31-01-2015 08:23AM

colossus-x wrote: »

And that thing about him being celibate - as if he had a choice in the matter.

Well, he's getting married!

Hotblack Desiato · 31-01-2015 10:57AM

If he really was a nobody, you wouldn't be ranting about him.
Don't watch the show if you don't want to.

branie2 · 31-01-2015 11:08AM

I bet Gay was raging after the interview

SpaceTime · 31-01-2015 11:15AM

No he wasn't he was probably thinking " yes indeed! Roll it there Collette we have the promo clip for the YouTube... Don't ya know! Still got it after 80 years in broadcasting!'

silverharp · 31-01-2015 11:38AM

700K hits in a day , I thinks it went viral

Stephen Fry and Gay Byrne

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